Mine dump skip



April 30, 1957 D. c. LEONARD MINE DUMP SKIP 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 29,. 1254 Inventor DAN/EL (.LEONARD April 30, 1957 D. c. LEONARD MINE DUMP SKIP s Sheets-Sheet 2' Filed July 29, 1954 Inventor DAN/E L C. LEONARD B W April 30, 1957 D. c. LEONARD MINE DUMP SKIP 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 29, 1954 FIG.

Inventor DAN/EL C. LEONARD MINE DUMP SKIP Daniel C. Leonard, Orillia, Ontario, Canada, assignor to E. long Limited, ()l'illia, Ontario, Canada, a company of Qntario Application July 29, 1954, Serial No. 446,638

6 Claims. (Cl. 214-741) This invention relates to a skip bucket used in mine shafts and like applications for lifting muck from the bottom of the shaft and dumping it into a' bin at the top of the shaft. The particular skip is what is commonly called a front dump skip, that is, it is a skip having a discharge opening in its front wall through which the contents can be dumped.

Skips of this type in use discharge into a bin at the top of the shaft and there is always difiiculty with muck dropping back down the shaft from the discharge opening of the skip bucket which from practical considerations is slightiy spaced from the opening of the bin into which the bucket discharges.

It is an object of this invention to provide a means for guiding the contents of the skip bucket into the bin with a minimum of loss from dropping due to gravity in the space between the discharge opening of the skip bucket and the bin.

According to my invention 1 provide a means for guiding the contents of the skip bucket across the space between the skip bucket opening'and into the bin.

My invention Will be clearly understood after reference to the following detailed specification read in conjunction with the drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front view of 'a skip bucket according to my invention mounted in a vertical mine shaft.

Figure 2 is a side view of the skip of Figure 1 taken along the line 2-2 with guide tracks eliminated for clarity.

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view along the line 4 4 of Figure 2 illustrating the door construction and eliminating detail of the door operating mechanism.

Figure 5 is a detail of the latch mechanism for operating the door to the skip discharge opening.

Figure 6 is a cross-section illustrating the latch mechanism of Figure 5 along the line 6-6.

Figure 7 is a detail view showing the latch and catch mechanism interconnecting the door to the skip bucket and the bridging ledge which will be described later.

Figure 8 is a view along the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 7 illustrating the door in the open position and the bridging ledge in an operative position.

Figure 10 is a detail along the line ll}1tl of Figure 2 illustrating the pivotal connection of the skip bucket to the track thereof.

Figure 11 is a side view of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a diagrammatic illustration of the skip in dumping position.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 19 generally indicates a vertical mine shaft having timbers 11 on each of its sides upon which ride the channelled guide members 12 of a skip bucket 13. Skip bucket 13 is drawn up the shaft and travels down the shaft on the cable 14.

rates Patent 0 2,7 90,569 Pa e ed eve. 5?

The skip illustrated is a vertical skip and has a bucket with a front wall'15, a back wall 16, side walls 17 and 18, and a bottom 19 that slopes from the back wall 16 downwardly and towards the plane of the front wall 15. The bucket has a front discharge'opening 20 substantially in the plane of the front wall defined in part by the lowermost edge of the bottom 19. The remaining or other defining edges of the opening are the side walls 17 and 18 and the lower edge of the front wall 15. The filling opening of the bucket is through the open top thereof as indicated by the arrow 21.

The opening 20 defined by the lower edge of the front wall 15, the sides 17 and 18, and the bottom of the bin 19 has an outwardly extending flange on its side and bottom edges as indicated by the numeral 21a upon which is mounted a strip of rubber.

A door 22 hinged at its top as at 23 normally closes the opening 20, the rubber seal 24 serving to ensure a tight closure. Door 22, it will be noted, has side wings 25 and 25a which are in spaced parallel relation to the side walls 17 and 13 'of the bucket.

Door 22 is normally held in the closed position by means of a latch 26 which is mounted thereon and engages a catch 27 mounted on the channelled guide members 12. It will be appreciated that there is a catch and latch on each side of the door identical in form.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate in detail the mounting of the latch to the door 22. Latch 26 is pivotally mounted about the pin 26:: that is rigidly carried by the door 22.

In use, means are provided for releasing the latch 26 from the catch 27 whereby the door can be opened. Means are also provided for positively opening the door.

In this latter connection, the latch 26 carries a roller 28 on the pin 29 thereof which engages the track 31) rigidly mounted on the side of the shaft 10. Track 30 is formed with a curve as indicated at 31 which when engaged by the roller 28 as the mine skip bucket is raised causes the latch to swing in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2 and to disengage from the catch 27. It will be noted that a second roller 30 is carried by the pin 27 of door 22 and is directly beneath the roller 28. After roller 28 engages the curve 31 of track 30, roller 30 will engage the curve. This has the effect of carrying the door to the right to swing it about its pivot point 23 and open it as the skip bucket is raised. 9

The track 30 is disposed in the mine shaft such that the latch 26 is released and the door 22 opened when the bottom of lower edge of the bottom 19 is above the opening 32 of the bin which receives the muck lifted from the mine shaft at the shaft top.

As the door opens'the side wings 25 thereof which are in parallel spaced relation to the sides of the bucket tend to guide the muck from the opening into the bin and prevent it' from dropping 'down the space between the opening and the bin back into the shaft.

1 also provide a ledge 32a for the purpose of guiding the contents of thebucket into the bin opening 32 with a minimum of lossfrom dropping due to gravity between the space between the skip opening and the bin lip; Ledge 324 iscarried by support arms 33 whichrare pivotally mounted to the bracket 34 on the tracks 12 and is operable froman inoperative position illustrated in Figure 7'behind the do'or 22 when the latteijisin a .close'dposition to an operative position illustrated in Figure 9 underlying the door 22, but extending in advance of the opening which the door normally closes, to bridge the gap into the bin 32 as illustrated in Figure 9. I

The bridging ledge 32a is actuated from the inoperative to the operative position by means of an interconnection with the door. Arms 33 of the bridging ledge carry pins 36 which engage in notches 37 of the side wings 2'5 and 25a of the door 22. The notches 37 have shoulders which engage with the pin to move the bridging ledge 32a in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 9 as the door opens to move it to the operative position 'and in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot point as viewed in Figure 7 as the door closes to move it to its inoperative position.

Figure 12 is a schematic figure illustrating the skip in dumping position on the guides with the door 22 in open position, the bridging ledge 32a in skip discharge position and the member 26 in the cam track 31.

It will be apparent that as the bucket is lowered after having been drawn to its uppermost position in which the roller 28 clears the curve 31 to the top, that the same curve 31 will cause the door to close and the latch 25 to lock. At the same time, of course, the bridging ledge 320 will be caused to move to its inoperative position.

The bridging ledge and side wings above described both co-act to reduce to a minimum droppage back down the shaft as the bucket is unloaded into the bin 32.

Alternatively, the same result could be achieved by causing the bucket to move forward to cause its lower edge to overlie the lip of the bin 32. It will be noted that the bucket is pivotally mounted to the channel rail members 12 at its upper end at each side as at 39. A roller 40 can be mounted on each side of the bucket to engage a track 40a having a curve 41 so placed to carry the body of the bucket forward to cause the lower edge of the bottom to overlie the opening of bin 32 just prior to the opening of the door 22.

Embodiments of my invention other than the one shown will be apparent to those skilled in the 'art and it is not my intention that my invention should be limited by the foregoing specific embodiment shown.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a skip, a bucket having a front wall, a back wall, side walls, and a bottom sloping from said back wall downwardly and towards the plane of said front wall; said bucket being adapted to be raised substantially vertically in use; said bucket having a discharge opening substantially in the plane of said front wall and defined in part by said bottom; a door for said discharge opening hinged at its top to said front Wall; a latch for said door; a catch; said latch normally cooperating with said catch to maintain said door closed; means actuable to release said latch from said catch at a predetermined time whereby said door is free to swing open; and means for guiding the of said door whereby the contents bridge the gap between the lip of the bucket and a bin that receives the contents of the bucket in use, said means for guiding the contents of said bucket into a bin including a bridging ledge pivotally mounted on said bucket beneath said bucket and adapted to swing from an inoperative position behind said door when the latter is in a closed position to an operative position underlying but extending in advance of said opening, and means operatively interconnecting said door and said bridging ledge whereby said bridging ledge is moved from said inoperative position to said operative position as said door opens, said means for operatively interconnecting said door and bridging ledge comprising a pin means carried by said door, said door having flange means formed with shoulders to engage with said pin means as said door opens and closes.

2. In a skip, a bucket having a front wall, a back wall, side walls, and a bottom sloping from said back wall downwardly and towards the plane of said front wall; said bucket being adapted to be raised substantially vertically in use; said bucket having a discharge opening substantially in the plane of said front wall and defined in part by said bottom; a door for said'discharge opening hinged at its top to said front wall; a latch for said door; a catch; said latch normally cooperating wtih said catch to maintain said door closed; first means carried by said latch adapted to be actuated in use to release said latch from said catch; second means carried by the door adapted to be actuated in use'after saidlatch has been released as aforesaid to positively open said door; third means rigidly mountable in use. for cooperation with said first means and said second means as said skip moves therepast whereby to actuate said first means and said second means as aforesaid; and fourth means for guiding the contents of said bucket into a bin with a minimum of loss from dropping due to gravity between said opening and the bin as the contents leave the bucket upon the opening of said 4 door whereby the contents bridge the gap between the lip of the bucket and a bin that receives the contents of the bucket in use.

3. A skip, a bucket as claimed in claim 2 in which said fourth means for guiding the contents of said bucket into a bin therein set forth comprises a track adapted for mounting on the shaft in which the bucket is used, a roller carried by said bucket on each side wall of said bucket, said roller being adapted to engage with and follow said track in use as said bucket is raised, said tracks having a curve adapted to move the lip of said discharge opening forward to overlie said bin.

4. A skip, a bucket as claimed in claim 2, in which said fourth means for guiding the contents of said bucket into a bin therein set forth comprises a bridging ledge pivotally mounted on said bucket beneath said bucket and adapted to swing from an inoperative position behind said 'door when the latter is in a closed position to an operative position underlying but extending in advance of said opening, and means operatively interconnecting said door and said bridging ledge whereby said bridging ledge is moved from said inoperative position to said operative position as said door opens.

5. In a skip, a bucket as claimed in claim 2, in which said fourth means for guiding the contents of said bucket into a bin therein set forth comprises side wings on said door adapted to lie in parallel spaced relation to the outside of the side walls of said skip.

6. A skip as claimed in claim 2 in which said second means underlies said first means; said first means includ ing a roller and said second means including a roller; said third means comprising a track within which said rollers travel in use; said track being formed with a curve whereby to actuate said first means and said second means as aforesaid.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,365,979 Gardner Ian. 18, 1921 2,424,620 Korn July 29, 1947 2,479,449 Woodward et a1. Aug. 16, 1949 2,545,170 Saunders Mar. 13, 1951 2,649,983 Finlay et al Aug. 25, 1953 

